Pt deposited TiO2 catalyst fabricated by thermal decomposition of titanium complex for solar hydrogen production

• C, N codoped TiO2 has been synthesized using a titanium complex.
• Photocatalytic production of hydrogen under visible light irradiation.
• The crystalline grain size of the catalyst is crucial for higher efficacy.
• Visible-light responsive catalyst for solar hydrogen production.

C, N codoped TiO2 catalyst has been synthesized by thermal decomposition of a novel water-soluble titanium complex. The structure, morphology, and optical properties of the synthesized TiO2 catalyst were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of the Pt deposited TiO2 catalysts synthesized at different temperatures was evaluated by means of hydrogen evolution reaction under both UV–vis and visible light irradiation. The investigation results reveal that the photocatalytic H2 evolution rate strongly depended on the crystalline grain size as well as specific surface area of the synthesized catalyst. Our studies successfully demonstrate a simple method for the synthesis of visible-light responsive Pt deposited TiO2 catalyst for solar hydrogen production.

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